"Rosa Parks II" Quilt by Yvonne Wells, 2006

01

Artifact Overview

Rosa Parks's December 1, 1955, refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus led to such successful public action that many consider her act to be the spark that ignited the Civil Rights movement. Yvonne Wells, a self-taught artist and retired schoolteacher, created this pictorial quilt without using patterns or templates.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Pictorial quilt

Date Made

2006

Creator Notes

Handmade by Yvonne Wells in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2008.118.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Purchased with funds from the Eleanor B. Safford Memorial Textile Fund.

Material

Cotton (Textile)
Polyester (Fiber)
Rickrack
Floss (Yarn)
Batting

Technique

Applique (Technique)
Piecing
Quilting
Hand sewing
Machine sewing (Technique)

Color

Red
White (Color)
Blue
Green
Silver (Color)
Black (Color)
Brown

Dimensions

Height: 87.75 in (at longest length)
Width: 77.25 in (at widest width)

Inscriptions

Inscribed in black ink on back: ROSA / PARKS II / 2006-6 / Yvonne / Wells / (triangle shape) Inscribed in red embroidery on the front lower proper left corner: YW 2006-6

Specifications

Pattern: Pictorial (story) quilt, "Rosa Parks II"
Number of Pieces (top):
Fabric (top): American flag; plain and printed fabrics: red, blue and tan woven plaid cotton, tan polyester knit, dark green, red, white and blue cottons, metallic silver cotton
Piecing Technique: hand-appliqued
Number of Pieces (back): 2
Fabric (back): cotton fabric printed with black circles on a white background
Stitches per Inch: 2-3
Quilting Pattern: an overall elbow or fan design
Quilting Technique: Hand quilting
Binding: back turned to front
Batting: thick batting
Note(s): The quilt is inscribed in red embroidery on the front lower corner, proper left, with YM 2006-6 and a small folded piece of red fabric in the shape of a triangle inserted in the binding. The quilt back is inscribed in black ink: ROSA / PARKS II / 2006-6 / Yvonne / Wells/ (triangle shape). The quilt maker uses the triangle motif to symbolize the Trinity of Christianity.
"Rosa Parks II" Quilt by Yvonne Wells, 2006